`Peterstar` is a vigorous, strong growing Poinsettia of medium height and large, bright red flower bracts. It has self-branching traits which make it desirable for branched plant production. `Peterstar` blooms relatively early and the blooming time is very uniform among individual clones. The bract presentation is slightly umbrella shaped, but the plant does not exhibit epinasty after sleeving and shipping.
This new Poinsettia cultivar originated in a greenhouse in Skibby, Denmark as an induced mutation of the red bracted cultivar `Angelika` (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 5,492). The Poinsettia of the present invention was induced from the variety `Angelika` using 2500 RAD of gamma rays, and was selected from about 200 mutants so produced. It most closely resembles the cultivar `Angelika` but distinctly differs in the following traits. `Peterstar` has a more compact growth habit than `Angelika`. No growth (retarding) hormone is needed to obtain the compact stature of `Peterstar`. In contrast, to get this same compactness with `Angelika`, you have to treat this variety with a rather high dosage of Cycocel. `Peterstar` has wider bracts and the bract surface is relatively smoother than `Angelika`. The bright red color of `Peterstar` is uniform across the entire bract surface, whereas the red bracts of `Angelika` fade along the margins. `Peterstar` blooms 3-4 days earlier than `Angelika`. This mutant was selected because of its distinctive characteristics which seem to make it commercially more desirable than the parent plant `Angelika`.
After selection, vegetative reproduction of this plant was accomplished by stem cuttings for further testing purposes. Clones were subjected to successive generations of vegetative propagation which demonstrated that bract coloration, smooth bracts, early flowering and other distinctive characteristics held true from generation to generation.